Under UK legislation, effective from April 2006, expatriates or UK residents who have a demonstrable intention to move overseas may transfer the value of their UK pension rights to a non–UK pension scheme and thus potentially avoid exposure to UK tax and many of the UK pension fund restrictions. Malta is one of the world’s leading jurisdictions for pension transfers and Sovereign has developed a market-leading range of HMRC-recognised pension products including the Centaurus Retirement Benefit Scheme QROPS (for pensions with a value greater than £100,000), the Centaurus Lite Retirement Benefit Scheme QROPS (for pensions with a value less than £100,000) and the Rinella Retirement Benefit Scheme QNUPS.

Pension schemes in Malta are currently established under the Special Funds (Regulation) Act 2002. This is to be replaced by new Retirement Pensions Act, which is to create a more flexible and user-friendly piece of legislation. It further aims to set out a framework for pension legislation that will allow it to attract multinationals, high net worth individuals and wealthy expatriate individuals to base their pension provisions in Malta and benefit from a well-regulated, cost-competitive structure within a tax efficient framework.

An international retirement savings plan is a low cost, highly efficient method to plan your retirement and long-term future. It enables you to accumulate wealth to fit your financial circumstances as they change. There is no need for a regular fixed monthly commitment as assets can be added to the plan at any time. Free from income or capital gains tax, retirement fund growth will be maximised from the outset. International retirement savings plans can be established as individual plans, joint plans for spouses or as multi-member plans.